THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
91 
This system of elevation has been objected to by naval men on account of 
the slowness of the operation, but I maintain it is quite fast enough for real 
warfare : it is seldom that an alteration of more than 2° can be required 
between two consecutive shots, and it must be borne in mind that as the 
muzzle of the gun is always the same height from the deck or ground it can 
be loaded at any angle of elevation or depression, and as the degrees of 
elevation are marked on the worm-wheel, the operations of elevating and 
loading can go on simultaneously, by which means much time is saved. 
Another advantage of this system is that when once the elevation is accurately 
ascertained any number of shots may be fired without any re-adjustment, 
which is not the case with guns elevated on the principles which now obtain 
in the service. 
Another objection to this system, which I freely admit, is the very limited 
field of view; it is certain that better practice is to be made from guns en 
barbette than from guns in casemates with embrasures only a few inches 
larger than the muzzle of the gun, but if we expect perfect protection for 
our gunners from hostile projectiles we cannot expect an unlimited field of 
view; however, as I propose leaving a space of 4 inches over the muzzle, 
which will be constant, I think the field of view will be quite as good, if not 
better, than it is at present in our armour-plated ships, where, when firing 
with extreme elevation it is nil. 
In my opinion the great objection to this carriage is the necessity of 
cutting off the trunnions of the gun, thereby rendering it useless for 
mounting in any other carriage; but I hope to do away with that difficulty 
in future. I am now preparing drawings of a carriage for a 12 ton gun, in. 
which the gun can be mounted without being mutilated in any way; and 
however imperfect the present carriage may be, I have still every reason to 
be satisfied that at a first attempt I have succeeded in producing a carriage 
for a 68-pr. gun, that does pivot at the muzzle,—that can be easily worked 
by an ordinary detachment,—and that has stood 10 rounds of service charge 
without any signs of weakness. 
Note. —Since writing the above, 100 rounds have been fired from the carriage at Shoeburyness, 
viz.:—50 at 10° elevation, and 50 at 6° and 4° depression. The carriage stood the test perfectly 
with the exception of the cast-iron handwheels, two of which were broken, and two cracked by the 
concussion; they will be replaced by wrought-iron winch handles. 
